Are the Suns becoming the new "old Blazers?" http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...?slug=jy-sarversuns021309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Excerpts: ... ... ... God. Reading this article really brought back the bad memories circa 2001-2005. I feel badly for Phoenix fans; it looks like they are enduring their version of Bob Whitsitt.
Seems like John Nash is a closer analogy. Whitsitt actually built a contender. Sarver and Kerr have destroyed one. barfo
Being home would be good for him, but that organization is going downhill fast. And without Amare they don't have any sort of bright future in sight. I'm not sure how much time Bayless would get until next year though.
Because he's been mentioned in every trade rumor involving Portland and Phoenix reported by the media. It makes sense since it's his home town and he went to school there. The Suns are going to need somebody to bring in the fans after Nash leaves, especially if Amare isn't there.
When dealing with players of the star caliber of Amare, I don't think the Suns could give to shits about whether Bayless is from Phoenix as much as they care about his talent.
Then you miss the main point to this trade. MONEY$$$ The reason Nash is untouchable, even over Amare is because he puts paying fans in the seats during one of the worst economies ever. Bayless would make up for the tickets that would otherwise be lost once Nash leaves. And to top off the home town hero thing he also happens to be a very good prospect. It doesn't have to be one or the other, but I assure you money plays as much a factor in the Amare rumors as anything.
I understand that its a trade about money. I'm also the first to realize that Bayless has extreme potential. You just keep bantering about the fact that Bayless is a hometown guy like its some kind of deal breaker. If Bayless wasn't from Phoenix he'd be just as enticing of a player. The fact that he's from the area really has no bearing as to why they would go after him. NBA GM's don't think that way, if a player is going to help their team in the future that is reason enough to go after him. It might be a nice little story line to fans, but front offices think more about winning games than winning the hearts of fans by going after hometown guys.
I don't see the analogy at all. Whitsitt was GM, not owner, and Whitsitt was a total recluse, and Whitsitt assembled a dominant team. The closest analogy I can come up with is the Lakers of the very near future. I've never liked Jerry Buss (sleazeball) but he was always pretty hands off when it came to basketball. However, this is not true of his son who is apparently all set to take over. The fact that he was right about Andrew Bynum is only going to encourage him.
